Kindergarten question
I think parents have a hard time judging where their kids should be when it's their first.
Becca has started the school district's 'Jump Start to Kindergarten' program. She has been bringing home school work for the first time. Today there was a sheet explaining what they had been learning this week.
So here is my question. How many kids make it to 5 without knowing colors? basic counting? the alphabet? simple shapes? Every day they cut out pictures from magazine that start with the letter of the day. That just seems too basic to me.
I have no way of knowing if she is ahead or right on track. For all I know, this is just teaching kids learning skills with knowledge they should already have.
Why I am a bit concerned. A few memories from first grade.
Being held back and stopping reading for 3 weeks until the next fastest kid could catch up to me so the teacher wouldn't have to teach just me at that speed.
Getting in trouble for rushing through the classwork and not using multiple crayon colors to draw my pictures to match my words. The teacher made me redo it with more than one color. I was bored with it, which is why I only used one color. It was red-violet. And yes, I am still bitter.
Whichever kid finished their work first got to scratch the teacher's back. After quite awhile of this, I started slowing down on my work.
Becca came home with a sheet of paper on which she had drawn a picture to represent each season. The teacher wrote underneath what Becca said they were. For Fall there is a pile of leaves. For Winter it is a pile of snow. Which brought the single crayon flashback to me.
Maybe it isn't a big deal. Maybe I just enjoy worrying about things. But it does worry me.
Submitted by
Karen at 6/6/2008 2:52:47 PM- Not that I'm biased or anything but I think Becca is advanced for five as well. I've been wondering since the kindergarten talk started just what would there for her.
And that back scratching thing? Totally gross and highly inappropriate. But might explain your mindset a bit.
Submitted by
Nominimom at 6/6/2008 5:09:35 PM- I felt the same way walking through the preschool fair last year. They all told us what their curriculum consisted of as far as preparation for kindergarten and I just kept thinking "My kid can read on a 1st-2nd grade level and you're going to make him sit through learning his letters?" If I were you, I would bring up your concerns with Becca's kindergarten teacher when the time comes, just for your own peace of mind. It sounds like Becca is definitely ahead of the game and it would suck to have her held back by other kids. Most school districts have gifted programs, but they don't start until a year or two later, unfortunately.
Just let the teacher know your concerns and if she can't accommodate Becca's needs, keep climbing the ladder until you find someone who does (principal, superintendent, etc). Just like a learning disabled kid with an IEP, they are legally bound to meet gifted/advanced children's educational needs.
Submitted by
mommymae at 6/23/2008 9:55:01 PM- my gals just finished kindy and could do all of the things you mentioned. not all of the kids in their class could, though. their teacher was fantastic about giving them the appropriate work and even had them in reading groups with 1st grade teachers (separately.) when i taught music, i had kindergartners who didn't know colors and letters when my 18 month olds did. it was wild, but it's proven that if parents don't engage with their kids, they may not know as much. i don't mean flash cards, but answering questions when asked, asking them leading questions about the things around them, and talking about what you are doing step by step while you do it. a lot of parents don't do these things.
Okay. The back scratching thing? That's screwed up. I can't imagine rewarding a kid by making them rub on me. Gheez. Also, Dear God. Blegh.
I'm thinking specifically about Meredith here: Although she knows all colors, letters, numbers, shapes, etc., I'm not sure she would be able to go through a magazine and cut out pictures that start with a certain letter. (She is the first to admit that she can't read or write.)
I do think that Becca is advanced for five.